Life Is Better With Chickens in a Pumpkin Sweater

Fall is finally here. The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are changing colors, and there are pumpkins and fun decorations everywhere you look. It's about that time when people start going back to their closets and pulling out all of the fun sweaters and fall accessories. As I was sorting through all of my fall clothes, I started wondering...if humans get to wear fun sweaters, shouldn't a chicken get to wear one too? Through this Instructable, I'll be walking you through step by step on how to make a chicken a cozy pumpkin sweater for this fall season.

In order to make a pumpkin sweater/costume for your feathery friend, you'll need...

• A ball of orange yarn
• A ball of green yarn
• A crochet hook - size H8 (or 5 MM)
• A pair of scissors
• A yarn needle
• Your feathery friend :)

To begin making the sweater you'll want to take your hook, along with your orange yarn and make a slip knot. Make 29 chains, making sure to leave a tail of yarn to use at the end. In the second chain from the hook, single crochet. Single crochet in every chain until you reach the last chain. Make one chain with your hook and rotate your fabric so that you can work back the way you just came. For the next 3 rows (rows 2-4), single crochet in each stitch. At the end of each row, chain one and rotate.

Starting with row 5, you'll start to shape the body of the sweater. To do this, decrease single crochet in the first 2 stitches. Then, single crochet until you have 2 stitches left so that you can decrease single crochet the last 2 stitches. Both sides will start to slant in. Chain one and rotate your fabric. In the next 3 rows (rows 6-8), single crochet in each stitch. At the end of each row, chain one and rotate your fabric. For row 9, repeat the directions from row 5. In the next 3 rows (rows 10-12), single crochet in each stitch. At the end of each row, chain one and rotate your fabric.

Continuing in the same pattern, you will decrease every fourth row to shape up to the neck. In rows 13, 17, 21, and 25, work a decrease. To do this, decrease single crochet in the first 2 stitches. Then, single crochet until you have 2 stitches left so that you can decrease single crochet the last 2 stitches. The pattern will be narrowing in, making almost a trapezoid shape. To keep it from drastically narrowing up, the sections in between each decrease will be a standard single crochet in every stitch. Rows 14 through 16, 18 through 20, and 22 through 24 will follow the following pattern. Single crochet in each stitch. At the end of each row, chain one and rotate your fabric. When you finish row 25 bind off and cut your yarn, leaving a tail.

You'll need to repeat steps one through three so that you have 2 identical pieces. These pieces are the top and bottom of the sweater, which will sit on the chicken's back and belly.

After you have your 2 pieces completed, lay them on top of each other so that the corners line up together. Using your yarn needle connect the right and left shoulder. To do this, use the tail from the end of row 25 and weave together 4 stitches. When you've made the 4 stitches, make a knot and trim off the excess yarn.

Similar to the shoulders, you want to connect the bottom corners together. Using your yarn needle and the tail from when you started the base, weave together one stitch. In the same hole, weave 2 more times. This will just pin the corners together and leave the rest open. When you've made your three stitches, make a knot and trim off the excess yarn.

Using your hook and green yarn, make 4 chains. Single crochet in the last chain from the hook to make a circle. Chain one and double crochet in every stitch around the circle. Chain one and double crochet again in the circle and stop at the last stitch.

For the last stitch, you will switch to orange yarn. To do this, start a double stitch with the green yarn on your hook and use the orange yarn to pull through the loops. Now that you have orange yarn you can make the brim of the hat. Chain 2 and double crochet in each stitch around the circle, chain 2 and do another round of double crochet.

After finishing the second round of double crochet, chain 15. Fold the hat in half and lay flat. When folded, put your hook through the opposite side stitch, even with where your chain started. This will create the chin strap. Next, slip stitch into the stitch, tie a knot, and trim your excess yarn.

*Disclaimer: After all this work my chickens did not like wearing a sweater.